1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intelligent traffic network system, and more particularly, to a traffic information collecting and providing system and method utilizing a PCS (Personal Communication System) network.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional PCS network system.
The conventional PCS network system as illustrated in FIG. 1 includes: a PCS terminal; BTSs (Base Transceiver Stations) for linking wired and wireless interfaces; BSCs (Base Station Controllers) for controlling base -station tranceiver subsystem; a MSC (Mobile services Switching Center) which is a national network; and a GMSC (Gateway MSC or Telecommunication Service Center).
The PCS terminal is an apparatus for wirelessly providing services and a variety of character information services. There is a wireless interface between the PCS terminal and the BTS that operates through a wireless channel of a certain range. And, the BTS is disposed at the center of a service area.
The base station controllers (BSCs) are apparatus for controlling the base tranceiver stations (BTSs). They performs handover of calls, control of a power signal between the BTS and mobile PCS terminals, and frequency control. The BSC is quite intelligent, and performs many operations between the mobile frequency control. The BSC is quite intelligent, and performs many operations between the mobile terminal and the BTS. The BTS and BSC can be disposed at the same location, and the BSC can be disposed at the mobile services switching center (MSC).
The MSC is the core of the PCS network, and serves to set, manage, and cut a speech path by routing a call to an appropriate cell. In addition, the MSC provides a charging function and an interface for a telephone system.
The MSC has a HLR (Home Location Register) and a VLR (Visitor Location Register). The HLR is a database having subscriber location information of a corresponding area. The VLR is a database having information about whether the mobile terminal is in the off state or not, and whether it receives additional services or not.
The MSC having an interface for the telephone system is referred to as a Gateway mobile services switching center (Gateway MSC). This is a complete telephone switch capable of connecting a call between the PCS network and a fixed public switched telephone network.
Hereinafter, the operation of the PCS network system will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, in order to provide a call service to a certain area, the area is divided into a plurality of service areas 11 through 20, and BTSs 21 through 30 are installed and administrated at the center of the areas.
A call request signal of a PCS terminal 1 is transmitted to a MSC 310 via a BSC 210 through the base tranceiver station 21 of the corresponding service area 11. If the destination of a call is not a terminal of the same mobile communication network, the call is connected from the MSC 310 to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) via a GNSC 400. On the other hand, if the destination of the call is the terminal receiving the service of the same mobile communication network, the call is delivered from the MSC 310 to other MSC 330 in the network. The corresponding MSC 330 having received a message checks where a destination terminal is currently disposed, whether or not it is in the on state, and whether or not it receives additional services, and thereafter sends the call to the destination terminal 2 via the corresponding BSC 240 and BTS 90.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional traffic network system.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conventional traffic network system includes: a plurality of vehicle terminals 610 mounted to vehicles and collecting traffic information; an on-road base tranceiver station 620 for relaying transmission/receiving of a signal between the plurality of vehicle terminals 610 and an ITS server unit 630; a plurality of ITS server units 630 connected to the on-road base tranceiver station 620 and collecting/processing traffic information; and a traffic information center 500 for generally managing/operating the plurality of ITS server units 630.
The operation of the thusly configured traffic network system will be described as follows.
Firstly, the terminal 610 is mounted to a vehicle, areas requiring to collect traffic information are selected, and thereafter the on-road base tranceiver station 620 is installed on the road of the selected area. The installed on-road base tranceiver station 620 receives a wireless signal from the terminal 610 mounted to the vehicle passing through the corresponding area, and transmits it to the ITS server unit 630. The ITS server unit 630 collects/processes traffic information to transmit the same to the traffic information.
Accordingly, the traffic information center 500 transmits traffic information of a specific area to the vehicle terminal 610 through the on-road base tranceiver station, thereby making a driver informed of the traffic state of a desired area.
However, the conventional PCS network system and traffic network system are installed/operated independently, thereby facing a system redundancy, and making a user buy an individual vehicle terminal available in the corresponding system.